On an unexpectedly free afternoon I set off on my bicycle through the unexplored lanes. It was a still, clear day, with a low, watery sun. After several miles I left the lane and entered some woods. Each ride looked the same under the trees and I quickly lost all sense of direction. When I emerged I was looking at a view I had not seen for 20 years. Caught in the horizontal sunlight on the other side of the steep …